Newsletter | Term 2, 2026
School of Population Health | August 2026
Head of School update
With mid-year now in the rear-view mirror, we’re taking a moment to acknowledge the great achievements and experiences of the first half of the year. A highlight for me was our annual Staff Retreat Day in which over 90 of our school staff brainstormed the school’s vision and mission, and then participated in focused education and research discussions led by Dr Katrina Blazek and Prof Natalie Taylor respectively, all while making new connections and having a lot of fun along the way. Out of those discussions, we have begun the long process of developing a school strategy, which I will share later in 2026. Particular thanks to Emily, Ravit, Yuling and Anil for organising such a great day.
I’m also delighted to congratulate A/Prof Timothy Dobbins on being selected for the role of Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Societal Impact and look forward to his contributions in that role.Ìý
I also would like to recognise the contribution of our Indonesian DFAT Fellows, exemplified by the presentation from A/Prof Tri Nugraha Susilawati on malaria control in Indonesia and congratulate Dr Minh Duong Cuong on his funding success that supported the visit.Ìý
Thanks to Jason Lawrence, Cheryl Chow, Alec Anderson and Vanita Jehan from South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) for organising and speaking at the Masterclass event for SPH students, along with other SWSLHD staff who contributed as well. Thanks also to Dr Robyn Taylor, for leading the organisation from SPH.Ìý
Please also join me in congratulating our new Senior Lecturers in the School (listed below).Ìý
There are many other great events and activities that are worth a read below. It’s great to see the energy and focus across the school across our range endeavours, including over 370 journal articles, books and book chapters published this year to date! Impressive work, everyone.Ìý
Professor James Wood
Head of School
Awards, promotions & achievements
Promotions
Seven staff members have been promoted to Senior Lecturers in the School.Ìý
Dr Aryati Yashadhana
Dr Md Saiful Islam
Dr Claire Deakin
Dr Minh Cuong Duong
Dr Ebony Lewis
Dr Sabuj Kanti Mistry
Dr George Karystianis
Appointments
We warmly congratulate A/Professor Timothy Dobbins, who has been appointed as the Faculty’s first Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Societal Impact. In this key new role, Timothy will provide strategic leadership in this field and, alongside Marianne Colbert, the Equity and Diversity Manager, he will support inclusive and equitable education, research and workforce practices, strengthening the Faculty’s culture and advancing its contribution to societal impact in line with our strategy of Better, Equitable Health for All.
Dr Padmanesan Narasimhan has been awarded Fellow (FHEA) of Advance HE (UK) for teaching excellence in higher education. HeÌýÌýsincerely thanks the SPH teaching team and our professional staff, who have been such an important part of making this achievement possible.
New team members in SPH Nursing Program
Joining Jane Currie in the nursing program are two new team members.Ìý
Sarah Tillott
Nursing Program Lead
Sarah Jacob
Program Manager
Awards
Warm congratulations to Wilson Lukmanjaya, who won the Best Long Talk Award after presenting at the Healthcare Text Analytics Conference (HealTAC) 2026 on his de-identification work. The conference took place June 8-10, in Brighton, UK.
Dr Aiden Cashin is a finalist in the 2026 Eureka Prizes, in the category of Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher for his work changing chronic pain care by determining which treatments help, why they work and how to delivery them widely. .
Aiden is also a finalist in the 2025-26 Health and Medical Research Awards, in the category of Discovery Award.
Education highlights
Visit from theÌýHuazhong University of Science and Technology, China
At the end of July to early August, SPH hosted students and faculty from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), China who participated in the inaugural short course program on Foundations of Health Leadership and Management at 91É«ÇéƬ. The program covered topics regarding Australia’s health system, sustainability, health economics, health leadership, connected health with a visit to the Western Sydney LHD as part of the program. The Chair of the School of Medicine and Health Management was also in attendance for some of the sessions and discussed interest on continuing the collaboration. Congratulations to Dr Anthony Sunjaya and Professor David Greenfield (program directors) and A/Prof Wei Zhang (HUST). Also thanks to all the SPH contributors, Professor James Wood, Professor Xiaoqi Feng, A/Professor Anurag Sharma, Dr David Meharg, A/Professor Anne Hogden, Dr Katrina Giskes, A/Professor Anita Heywood, Dr Rona Macniven, Dr Md Saiful Islam and Professor Katrina Blazek; as well as other contributors from Tyree institute of Health Engineering (91É«ÇéƬ); the external panel of industry leaders and alumni, Dr Stewart Condon, Dr Stephanie Hadikusumo and Professor Erwin Loh; those who helped coordinate the Westmead visit, Dr Kathy Eljiz, Professor Shailendra Sawleshwarker, A/Professor Aditya Vyas and Peter Rophail; the Association of Population Health (APH) Student Representatives, Chloe Tan, Angellene Firmalino, Johanna Lee and Aishwarya Yeolekar; and finally (but not least) Emily Hogden, Yuling Li, Ravit Danieli-Vlandis and Lyle McMahon from the M&H Faculty LLL team, for all their help organising and running the visit so well.Ìý
.cropimg.width=1920.crop=basic.jpg "HUST team visit July 2026 - 2")
Hosting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students
On June 2nd we welcomed a group of 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Campbelltown Performing Arts High School and Oran Park High School, along with two elders, Holly Seghabi and David Bell, as they visited 91É«ÇéƬ and explored what our campus has to offer. Professor James Wood spoke to them, with Prof Rebecca Ivers, Professor Tony Butler, Professor Xiaoqi Feng and Dr Patricia Morgan joining the students in the level 5 Heart for refreshments.Ìý
Health Leadership and Management Masterclass at Liverpool Hospital.
In June, South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) co-hosted a Health Leadership and Management Masterclass for School of Population Health students at Liverpool Hospital. This was a valuable opportunity for our students to learn from real world health leaders and managers. SWSLHD arranged student tours of hospital facilities including the Demand Management Unit, Sterilisation Services, the Emergency Department and the Molecular Science Cyclotron Facility. Students also heard from a range of district and hospital leaders, through presentations, a group activity and a panel discussion. Topics were aligned to Term 2 core courses, PHCM9701 Health Leadership & Workforce Management and PHCM9781 Evidence-Informed Decision-Making.
Equity at the Heart - Event videos now available
On March 5, 2026, students joined experts from Sweltering Cities, Doctors for the Environment, the Antipoverty Centre, City of Sydney Homelessness Services, the School of Public Health at Sydney University and 91É«ÇéƬ, in a workshop addressing the unequal ways climate change is set to impact us. Videos of the event are now available on the Advocacy Lab webpage.
2026 HSIL Hackathon
The Health Systems Innovation Lab Global Systems Hackathon took place in April at the Westmead innovation Centre. The theme this year was Building High-Value Health Systems: Leveraging AI. Dr Kathy Eljiz led the 91É«ÇéƬ arm of the event, held at Westmead Hospital.There were 237 participants, with 50% being lone registrants, joined Hubs from around the world, welcoming specifically the Asia Pacific hubs in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. Teams bonded over 48 hours of pizza, mentoring, friend-making, arguing like families, and a keynote from Dr Kim Sutherland. 17 pitches were made to the judging panel and the 91É«ÇéƬ team reached the finals!
Celebrating MHLM Intern Graduation
A morning tea was held at Western Sydney LHD on Wednesday 27 May, hosted by Amanda Larkin as Acting Chief Executive, to celebrate the graduations of their 2025 interns from the MHLM program. The event was attended by several SPH staff: James Wood, Anne Hogden, David Greenfield, Robyn Taylor, Anthony Sunjaya, Babatunde Balogun and Claire Deakin. They were joined by several executive members of staff in Western Sydney LHD who mentored the students during their internship placements.
Dyone Bettega (pictured on right, orange-red cardigan) topped the SPH cohort and won the 2026 Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM) National College Student Prize, to be presented at the ACHSM Annual General Meeting in Cairns on 27 October 2026.
Engagement, impact & media
Engagement
Workshop on Climate-Resilient Health Systems for Non-Communicable Diseases
Dr Azeb Gebresilassie Tesema,ÌýProfessor Rohina JoshiÌýand Emily Waller co-hosted a regional workshop in Singapore, bringing together partners from five countries to advance climate-resilient health systems and integrate climate considerations into NCD programs.
Workshops on Verbal Autopsy Evaluation in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea
Professor Rohina Joshi and Emily WallerÌýsupported a Data for Health Initiative Verbal Autopsy Evaluation Workshop in the Solomon Islands that reviewed and improved the quality and reporting of community-based cause-of-death data. As part of the workshop, Emily interview Dr Gregory Jilini, Deputy Secretary of Health in Solomon Islands, who is also undertaking a Master degree at SPH, 91É«ÇéƬ.
As representatives of the 91É«ÇéƬ Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Strengthening Unit, Rohina and Komal Nagendraprasad supported a workshop in Papua New Guinea, bringing together government and technical experts to develop a national Verbal Autopsy Policy Framework.
Impact
SPH input into WHO global community health worker curriculum guidelines
Congratulations to Prof Rohina Joshi, who contributed to the development of new global community health worker curriculum guidelines for the WHO, and was subsequently asked to sit on a panel at the guideline’s launch in April. This is a fantastic acknowledgement of Rohina’s contributions to the document and the impact of her work. You can read the curriculum guide here.
Media
SPH data contribution gains media attention
We were excited to watch Dr Malcolm Gillies, A/Prof Michael Falster and Prof Sallie Pearson on Four Corners in April, discussing he and his team’s contribution of data to guide an investigation, and the subsequent clinical/policy discussion, of ADHD medicines. You can read the 91É«ÇéƬ media story about this work here.
SPH expertise on the best age of child swimming lessons
Dr Amy Peden featured in an ABC new article in May discussing the ideal age for children to begin swimming lessons. Dr Peden’s strong media presence on this issue no doubt drew her to the ABC’s attention for comment in this piece. You can read the ABC piece here.
How can we use ChatGPT to better manage our health?
Dr Anthony Sunjaya was interviewed by SBS Indonesian about the use of AI in healthcare in Australia. A short written piece in English also accompanied the podcast. Both are available via the link here.Ìý
Using AI to transform Australia's response to domestic violence
For Dr George Karystianis, AI has become a powerful tool for uncovering hidden patterns of abuse and helping shape policies that could save lives. His work was featured in an article in the Greek Herald.
The Conversation
(Note: SPH contributors are listed here, please click on the links to see all authors).
- ÌýHolly Seale, Bianca Middleton, Md Saiful Islam
- Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, Holly Seale, Md Saiful Islam
- ÌýVita Christie.
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91É«ÇéƬ Media
Gap widens as vaccination rates slip
Professor Holly Seale was featured in a piece discussing culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities and the risk of ending up in hospital due to a vaccine-preventable disease, which is higher than average – and the issue is not as simple as being vaccine hesitant.ÌýGap widens as vaccination rates slip.
Precision medicine clinic boosts access for patients with rare and complex cancers
Professor Natalie Taylor Ìýwas featured in a piece discussing the work for the Precision Care Clinic, which is part of 91É«ÇéƬ’s Precision Care Initiative, which uses genetic information about tumours to guide treatment decisions.ÌýPrecision medicine clinic boosts access for patients with rare and complex cancers
Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher
Dr Aidan Cashin is one of six 91É«ÇéƬ finalists in the 2026 Eureka Prizes. He is a finalist in the Maquarie University Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher for his work reshaping how chronic pain is understood and treated.Ìý
Meet the six 91É«ÇéƬ finalists for the 2026 Eureka Prizes
Research highlights
Grants
Over the past 4 months we've brought in over $9.45M in grants!
Professor Jane CurrieÌýand the Healthy & HomED study team she leads, won a $3,694,000 Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant exploring pathways to improve access to care for people experiencing homelessness.Ìý
Dr Anthony SunjayaÌýwon $890,000 in the same MRFF round, to lead the BREATHE Dx Study, which aims to improve how chronic breathlessness is assessed and managed, with a special focus on regional and rural Australia.
A/Prof Michael FalsterÌýhas been awarded a Cardiovascular Early-mid Career Researcher Grant from NSW Health, of $450,000. His project will investigate disparities in access to GLP-1 medicines across Australia.Ìý
Dr Luna XuÌýhas also been awarded a Cardiovascular Early-mid Career Researcher Grant from NSW Health, of $450,000. Luna’s project will explore switching salt in processed foods for better blood pressure.Ìý
Dr Padma Narasimhan and the TRIBOT team have been successful in securing a CSIRO Industry PhD (iPhD) scholarship.The iPhD is a four-year collaborative program focused on AI deployment and safety in healthcare setting. The scholarship represents approximately $244,000 in total investment.
Professor Sallie Pearson was successful in receiving an NHMRC Investigator Grant L3 for her project titled Harnessing real-world data to improve quality use of medicines and reduce medicine-related harm, of $3,035,320.
Dr Azeb Tesema was successful in receiving an NHMRC Investigator Grant EL1 for her project titled Building resilient community health systems to strengthen primary health care in the Pacific Island countries, of $697,615.
Publications
Wearable sensors to monitor heart and breathing activity
Dr Anthony Sunjaya and his colleagues have developed a lightweight wearable device that could monitor heart and breathing health from home, potentially reducing hospital visits and allowing doctors to detect problems earlier. Proof of concept work was ,ÌýNature Communications. 17, Article number: 4918 (2026).
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Presentations
Development of a bespoke online research course on statistics using R to upskill clinicians and researchers in paediatric rheumatology. Claire Deakin. International Conference on Statistics Teaching, 13 July, 2026.
The determinants of healthcare utilisation and malaria distribution in Indonesia - Seminar
In April we welcomed A/Professor Tri Nugraha Susilawati from the Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia. A/Professor Susilawati presented a seminar that explored the determinants of healthcare utilisation and malaria distribution in Indonesia, using Sorong City, Southwest Papua – a region carrying a significant share of the national malaria burden – as a critical case study. The discussion underscored the importance of strengthening digital health infrastructure and primary care capacity to support more effective surveillance and advance Indonesia's malaria elimination goals.
Dr Minh Cuong Duong's significant work resulted in a successful DFAT grant that enabled A/Prof Susilawati's visit, along with four other Fellows from Indonesia, Dr Herry Susanto (Universitas Islam Sultan Agung), Dr Mega Hasanul Huda (Universitas Indonesia), Mr Zeth Roberth Felle (Health Polytechnic of Jayapura), and Dr Vivian Nanny Lia Dew (Universitas Aisyah Pringsewu). The purpose of their visit was capacity building to control malaria in Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific region.
